Delhi Election Results Decoded: BJP Defeated But Hindutva Has Won

A write-up penned by Vidhya Bhushan Rawat analysing Delhi state assembly election results has appeared on CounterCurrents.org. Sikh Siyasat News has taken out some excerpts from this write-up that are being published below along with some added headings. Author and source credit note, along with backlink, follows the excerpts below – Editor.

EXCERPTS from Write-up of Vidhya Bhushan Rawat:-

Political Parties Still Succumbing To BJP’s Narrative:

Rather than taking the BJP head on and challenging their narrative, political parties are now succumbing to their pressure and trying to prove they are ‘more’ Hindu than the Sanghis. Arvind Kejriwal chanted Hanuman Chalisa and refused to speak anything on Shaheen Bagh protests. He did not utter a single word on JNU and Jamia incidents. Even the Gargi college incident went unreported and only today the Delhi Commission for Women took note of it.

On AAP’s Nature and Support Base:

[W]e must not forget that AAP is essentially an upper caste party whose major cadre are similar to those in Sangh Parivar and would anyway like to vote for the BJP than any secular party in case AAP does not exist.

Reservation Issue and AAP:

AAP has got huge support from Muslim majority areas as well as all the 12 reserve constituencies are won by AAP with a massive mandate.

[T]he AAP is also a product of anti reservation forces, so it is important how AAP tackles the issue of communalism and reservation in the coming days.

On AAP’s Silence on Jamia, JNU, Seelampur:

AAP did not even seek clarification on police brutalities inflicted on students in Jamia, JNU and Seelampur. By deliberately keeping quiet, AAP actually ensured that the upper caste vote bank remain with them but then such silence though may politically, but will not be able to fight against the forces of communalism.

On Kejriwal’s Approach Towards Shaheen Bagh Protest:

Kejriwal was not merely silent on Shaheen Bagh protests but he actually claimed that they were ‘disturbing’ the traffic. It was the same Kejriwal, who never bothered to stop everything in Delhi and the whole Anna movement sponsored by the Sangh Parivar, refused to listen to the Parliament and claim all the people participating in his Ram Leela Ground rally were the ‘real’ India.

Problem of Communalism & AAP:

The issue of governance is important but you can not deny the fact that the Sangh Parivar has vitiated the atmosphere in the last 10 years. Any party who want to just claim to focus on ‘Bijli-Sadak-Pani’ but refuse on the issues such as CAA, NRC, communalism and systematic isolation of India 15-20% Muslim population can not fight the hatred politically.

On Delhi Voters, BJP’s Narrative and Social Justice Issue:

Delhi voters will not vote for the social justice issues and still got influenced with BJP’s narrative. Don’t take it wrong, the narrative that the BJP built remains there and will be used as they are not defeated.

BJP’s Core Base is Intact in Delhi; AAP Has Not Challenged BJP Ideologically:

[W]e must not ignore the fact that the BJP won nearly 39% votes of the people of Delhi.

Secondly, AAP has not challenged BJP ideologically and since Delhi’s people are relatively educated and given AAP’s upper caste background, the Delhi voters voted for the same.

Hindutva Won in Delhi:

AAP has defeated BJP but the fact is Hindutva has won. RSS has always fancied that while even if they are not in power, their Hindutva agenda must work. Today, political parties have gone bankrupt as they are unable to challenge the brahmanical hegemony and the main reason is that most of the parties in India are Savarna or brahmin dominated and hence wont challenge the Sangh narrative but only try to prove that they are better Hindus.

Reason For Congress’ Defeat:

Congress lost in Delhi because the Dalits and Muslims felt that Congress was not in a position to defeat BJP.

Whom Anti-BJP Voters Will Support:

Anti-BJP voters will vote to only those forces who are better equipped to defeat the BJP.

This will happen in other states as the BJP’s intimidation and oppression has increased so much that people will prefer any party which is better placed to defeat BJP.

Conclusion:

[W]e need strong political leaders who can reach out to minorities, Dalits, OBCs and tribals and ensure their fair representation and participation in power structure. You can’t build a narrative without an enabling environment and without proportional representation of India’s diverse communities.

Author Vidhya Bhushan Rawat is a Humanist, political analyst and human rights activist based in Delhi. He tweets at @freetohumanity.